Students from throughout Tennesseans met with Gov. Bill Haslam, Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in support of a bill that would provide in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. Video by Joel Ebert/USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee
Joel Ebert/USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee

Students from throughout Tennesseans met with Gov. Bill Haslam, Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in support of a bill that would provide in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.(Photo: Joel Ebert/USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee)

"I've been coming here as long as I remember — almost four years — fighting for tuition opportunity to give undocumented and immigrant youth the right to go to college and pay in-state tuition," Luna said Tuesday.

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Protesters march in Nashville in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the White House would in six months end the program.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Supporters of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals march from Centennial Park to the offices of Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Nashville.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Lizeth Luna wipes away tears as she shares her fears after the Trump administration said it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program during a protest at the offices of Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Nashville.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Evelin Salgado wipes away tears as she shares her fears she has after the Trump administration has said it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act during a protest at Senators Lamar Alexander's and Bob Corker's offices Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Arturo Luna and his son Caleb Luna, 11 months, participate in a protest outside the offices of Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Nashville.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Protesters march in Nashville in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Tuesday, Sept. 5 after President Donald Trump announced plans to end the program.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Protesters march in Nashville in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Tuesday, Sept. 5 after President Donald Trump announced plans to end the program.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Protesters march in Nashville in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the White House would in six months end the program.
Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

Alejandra Ramos marches in Nashville in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Tuesday, Sept. 5 after President Donald Trump announced plans to end the program.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Alejandra Ramos marches in Nashville in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, after President Donald Trump announced plans to end the program.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

A protestor demonstrates outside Music City Center where Vice President Mike Pence headlined an annual Republican fundraiser on Thursday, August 3, 2017, in Nashville Tenn. The protestors included youth who support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Dream Act of 2017, which help protect undocumented youth from being deported.
Mark Zaleski/For the Tennessean

September 04, 2017 - Dayana Parada drops a symbolic dream into a casket during a gathering outside of the Clifford Davis Federal Building in downtown Memphis to support the continuation of DACA, which gives young immigrants work permits, allowing them to avoid deportation. The casket was used to symbolize the dreams that will be buried if DACA is killed.
Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal

September 04, 2017 - Supporters of DACA gathered outside of the Clifford Davis Federal Building in downtown Memphis to support the continuation of DACA, which gives young immigrants work permits, allowing them to avoid deportation.
Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal

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Luna said she hopes the General Assembly can adopt the bill, HB 2429, in order to make college tuition more affordable. So far, she has reason to be hopeful, following the education committee's vote.

"My father works two jobs," she said. "He pays taxes and does everything he can. I do as well."

The bill is aimed at helping students, known as Dreamers, who have received temporary legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The DACA program, which was created by then-President Barack Obama in 2012, is set to expire this year. President Donald Trump has asked Congress to address the program.

Prior to the committee's meeting, dozens of students posed for a photo with Gov. Bill Haslam, who has frequently expressed support for the measure.

“We’ve said that we were in favor of the bill last year, and we’ll be in favor of it this year," Haslam told reporters earlier in the day.

The governor said he thought it "makes all the sense in the world" to let young immigrants to have the best training before they enter the state's workforce.

"The challenge we have today is one of having the available workforce, and to say, here’s a group of people who have grown up in the United States, but we’re not going to let them have access to the same education benefits that other people have when we need them to be trained just doesn’t make sense to me," Haslam said.

The education committee's action came after Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, who also posed in the picture with Haslam and the students, initially said he thought he might delay taking up the bill due to the absence of a committee member.

White said the issue is one that he is willing to "go to the mat" over.

"These students are here, they're here to stay and we need to make sure they are educated," he said. "If this bill sends me home, so be it."

Immediately after the committee's vote, a group of students huddled to recap the day's events and plan for the future.

"This is the first step. We've got several more committees to pass but certainly this is an amazing start," said Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. The group was behind students' coordinated effort to meet with lawmakers.

Randy Hurta, a sophomore at Milligan College in Johnson City, said he was optimistic the legislation will advance this year.

Hurta, who plans to attend graduate school, said if the bill became law, he would pay three times less than what he currently pays in tuition.

"We have a lot of optimism and we'll see where it goes from here," he said.

The legislation still faces significant hurdles, including opposition from House Speaker Beth Harwell. Last year, the legislation failed in the full House Education Administration and Planning Committee by a 7-6 vote.

A December poll by Vanderbilt University found 72 percent of respondents supported the legislation.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29